East Hampton
Board of Education
East Hampton, CT 06424
MINUTES: January 28, 2008
1. The meeting was called to order by the Chairperson, Mr. Vasquenza, at 7:00 p.m. in the East Hampton High School Library/Media Center.
Members present: Mr. Vasquenza, Ms. Robinson, Mr. Hurst, Ms. Jacobson, Mr. Coolican, Ms. Barmasse, Ms. Wall, Ms. Pessoni and Mr. Gemma
Administration Dr. Golden, Superintendent of Schools
present: Mr. Reich, Assistant Superintendent of Schools
Mr. Reas, Director of Support Services
Dr. Fitzsimmons, Principal of Memorial Elementary School
Ms. Ryan, Assistant Principal of Memorial Elementary School
Ms. Turchi, Principal of Center Elementary School
Mr. Barber, Principal of East Hampton Middle School
Mr. Fidler, Assistant Principal of East Hampton Middle School
Dr. Berry, Principal of East Hampton High School
Mr. Brenton, Assistant Principal of East Hampton High School
East Hampton High School Student Council Representative: Johnathan Tuttle
East Hampton Middle School Student Council Representative: Steven Hall
Center Elementary School Student Council Representative: Delaney Savage
Memorial Elementary School Student Representatives: Nicholas Claude and
Rebecca Doney
Also present: Karen Hitchcock Asetta, Business Services Coordinator
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Inter-Board Liaisons
3.1 Ms. Sharon Kjellquist, Board of Finance liaison to the Board of Education, thanked the members of the Board of Education for attending the Tri Board meeting.
4. Audience of Citizens - None
5. Consent Agenda
5.1 Motion by Mr. Hurst, seconded by Ms. Jacobson, to approve the following items:
- The minutes of the December 10, 2007 Board meeting.
- To appoint James Angelo to the extracurricular position of Yearbook Tri-Advisor at East Hampton High School for the 2007-2008 school year.
- To appoint Cristen Flannery to the extracurricular position of Yearbook Tri-Advisor at East Hampton High School for the 2007-2008 school year. The administration recommends that she be appointed.
- To appoint Justin Short to the extracurricular position of Yearbook Tri-Advisor at East Hampton High School for the 2007-2008 school year. The administration recommends that he be appointed.
- To appoint Elaine Sullivan to the extracurricular position of Ski Club Advisor at East Hampton Middle School for the 2007-2008 school year. The administration recommends that she be appointed.
- To appoint Virginia Vilcinskas to the extracurricular position of Drama Advisor at East Hampton Middle School for the 2007-2008 school year. The administration recommends that she be appointed.
- To appoint Kevin Rigdon to the extracurricular position of Assistant Drama Advisor at East Hampton Middle School for the 2007-2008 school year. The administration recommends that he be appointed.
- To appoint Greg Ruel to the extracurricular position of Girls’ Volleyball Coach at East Hampton Middle School for the 2007-2008 school year. The administration recommends that he be appointed.
- To appoint Mike Mercaldi to the extracurricular position of Boys’ Volleyball Coach at East Hampton Middle School for the 2007-2008 school year. The administration recommends that he be appointed.
- To appoint Cristin Flannery to the extracurricular position of Professional Development Advisor at East Hampton High School for the 2007-2008 school year. The administration recommends that she be appointed.
- To grant Kathryn Cote a childrearing leave commencing on approximately April 15, 2008 through six weeks after the birth of her child and an extended childrearing leave commencing on approximately May 28, 2008 through the remainder of the 2007-2008 school year.
- To accept Malcolm Forbes resignation as a School Social Worker for the East Hampton Public Schools effective June 30, 2008.
Voted unanimously.
6. Committee Reports
6.1 Student Council
6.1.1 Nicholas Claude and Rebecca Doney, Student Representatives for Memorial Elementary School reported the following:
Good evening, we are happy to be here to talk to you about Memorial Elementary School. My name is Nicholas Claude and I am Rebecca Doney – we are in Miss Foran’s third grade class.
I like to read. Miss Foran gives us rewards when we read 465 minutes or more a month. Reading helps build up my muscles in the brain. I read books that are ‘just right’ books. I use the 5 finger rule. That is I hold up my five fingers and if they are still up after I read a page the book is just right for me. I also need to understand what I am reading. It is like having a base.
I like math. I like doing my addition facts and multiplication facts. I practice my facts. We learned how to do multiplication by arrays. Miss Foran models what she wants us to do. When I was in second grade we used gumdrops to make our own geometry shapes. We made triangles, squares, rectangles and other shapes. It was fun.
My favorite special is art. It inspires me. I get ideas in my head and I put them on paper. I have learned about Leonardo DaVinci. Do you know he was an inventor, scientist and artist? He made a robot. I think that is cool. I also learned about a painting, Mona Lisa by Leonardo DaVinci. Last year I painted a winter scene. My fence went from large to small. It showed that I understood foreground and background.
My favorite special is music. My family loves to sing. My mom and dad sing and my dad sings and make-up funny songs. He is funny. I want to learn to play the piano and French horn. I like learning different kinds of music like jazz, hip hop, classical and in music we also keep rhythm. Nick and I want to sing part of Hot Cross Buns for you.
Thank you. We hope you like our singing and if you want to hear more please come to Memorial School.
We will walk you around Memorial School. We will stop in the art room and music room.
6.1.2 Delaney Savage, Student Council Representative for Center Elementary School reported the following:
Hello. My name is Delaney Savage, and I am a fourth grader in Mrs. Silverman’s class at Center School. I am the Vice President of our Student Council.
The last few months have been busy at Center School. Many activities took place in December. On December 18th the Elementary PTO sponsored a wintertime storyteller. Her name was Diane Edgecomb, and she told wonderful stories with Native American and animal themes.
Also in December we had our winter concert. Held at the High School, there was standing room only for our fifth grade band and combined fourth and fifth grade chorus. The students enjoyed performing for their parents, friends and relatives. There will be another concert in the spring.
All students participated in the fire prevention poster contest. The winners were chosen and announced recently. They are Austin Kelly, grade 4, and Katherine Player, grade 5. Their posters will move on to the next round of competition.
In December the students also took part in community service projects. The Student Council sponsored a Stuff the Stocking activity, and collected 6 boxes of items to send to the disabled children at the Voorhees Pediatric Facility in New Jersey.
Student Council members and their families also volunteered their time to help out at the East Hampton Food Bank.
Each classroom adopted a local senior, and made holiday baskets for them.
The baskets were filled with homemade treats, crafts and small gifts for the seniors. They were delivered to each senior’s home before the holidays.
In January we had a delivery of 200 salmon eggs. They are kept in a tank in the library with a special chiller to keep them cold. My class, Mrs. Silverman’s and Mrs. Vrooman’s class are in charge of taking daily water temperature readings and monitoring the growth of the eggs. When they hatch they will turn into fry. We will release them in the spring into the Salmon River.
The Student Council also sponsors ongoing school spirit days. So far this year we have had a twin day, sports team day, a classroom read-in, and a scarf and tie day.
As you can see, Center School is a very busy place. Thank you for letting me share with you some of our activities.
6.1.3 Steven Hall, Student Council Representative for East Hampton Middle School reported the following:
I’m Steven Hall, middle school student council communications coordinator. EHMS has been very busy with many different activities since our last report. Here are some of the highlights:
The magazine drive raised a great deal of money for school programs. Students also enjoyed the various prizes they won, including the upcoming Limo Lunch won by our leading sellers.
Basketball season continues on – the teams have had many competitive games, even if we haven’t won every time, and the crowds have been very supportive and enthusiastic. The cheerleaders have introduced a variety of new cheers and stunts, and the mascot has entertained the crowds with its attempts to do the cheers, too.
The Student Council officers attended the Connecticut Association of Student Councils Middle Level leadership conference at Quinnipiac University. During that program, the students attended a variety of workshops toward the theme of “Making Acceptance Acceptable”. Some of these activities will be included in the “Open Rec Afternoon” program that celebrates the end of the CMTs, and we are looking into ways to include other activities in our school later in the year.
The Student Council is also getting its annual Pennies for Patients drive underway; over the next three weeks, we will be collecting money in homerooms, in the commons, and in the office, with all donations going to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to fund cancer research. This year, we have included some new ways to get donations, including a Challenge Week where students are invited to donate to participate in various contests, including Ugliest Item of Clothing and Craziest Hairstyle. Last year, we raised $3250, and our goal this year is $3500. In addition, we have a 7th and 8th grade dance coming at the end of February.
Finally, the student council has partnered to help Project Graduation with its scarf sales. We’ll be showing off the scarves at lunches, and then selling the scarves themselves, later this week, to help Project Graduation with its current and future programs.
6.1.4 Johnathan Tuttle, Student Council Representative for East Hampton High School reported the following:
The Girl’s Basketball Team is currently undefeated with a record of 14-0. Tonight, they face Hale Ray in the Ranson Thompson Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m. Their next game is home on Thursday, January 31, at 7:30 p.m. against Portland.
The Nationally recognized Beat Bob individual came to our school on January 2nd, after having to be postponed due to inclement weather earlier in the year. Students rallied together in an attempt to beat the one man team however to our avail we lost miserably in every game. At one point students from EHHS occupied every square inch of the court and even then were still unable to come away with a victory. His message was that no matter what your obstacle may be, one can overcome it if they focus and believe that they can succeed.
The Boy’s Basketball Team is currently facing a record of 7-7. Their next game is tomorrow, Tuesday, January 29, at Valley Regional at 7:00 p.m.
The EHHS Winter Concert was held on January 16th at 7:00 in the auditorium. The first official Jazz Band performance at an actual concert was held. Macho Voce, Bella Voce, and the Choirs also participated in the event.
The mid-terms, having been postponed to Tuesday, January 22, 2008 went successfully this past week with the minor exception that a few students had to leave early to attend the Yale Model UN Conference. The delegates left on Thursday, January 24th, and returned home exhausted and tired from debate and conferences on Sunday, January 27th. Students discussed issues plaguing the world and came to conclusions on how to fix the issues in an attempt to fix our troubles.
The SAT’s were held on January 26th for the Juniors and some Seniors. On January 29th, the annual Senior Breakfast will be taking place.
6.2 Personnel Committee
6.2.1 Mr. Hurst noted that the Personnel Committee met last week and discussed the upcoming contract negotiations with the Nurses, Secretaries and Paraprofessionals. The Personnel Committee will be meeting for negotiations on Monday, February 4th.
6.3 Policy Committee
6.3.1 Ms. Robinson noted that the Policy Committee will meet on Wednesday, January 30th.
6.4 Curriculum Committee
6.4.1 Ms. Barmasse noted that the she will meet with the administration to plan future Curriculum Committee initiatives January 30th.
6.5 Transportation, Buildings and Grounds Committee
6.5.1 The Transportation, Buildings & Grounds Committee will meet on Thursday, January 31st.
6.6 East Hampton Education Association – None
6.7 Liaison Reports
6.7.1 Ms. Barmasse stated that she attended a professional development workshop at LEARN and that Dr. Golden was a presenter.
6.8 Financial Reports
6.8.1 Ms. Pessoni noted that the Finance Committee met in December and discussed GASB.
7. Communications
7.1 Dr. Golden reviewed the student enrollment figures as of January 2, 2008.
7.2 Dr. Golden reviewed the following communications for the Board:
- An article from the Middletown Press, State gives school funds for security, January 25, 2008.
- An article from the Hartford Courant, Grant To Boost School Security, January 25, 2008.
- Board & Administrator, January 2008.
- Critical Meetings on High School Reform, CABE (January 4, 2008).
- An update on Connecticut Virtual Classes (January 24, 2008)
- News & Notes, December 14, 2007.
- EHHS Bell Chimes, Winter 2007.
- The Middle Ground, January 2008.
- The Center School Chronicle, January 18, 2008, January 11, 2008, January 4, 2008, December 21, 2007 and December 14, 2008.
- Memorial’s Bulletin Board, January 25, 2008, January 11, 2008 and December 20, 2007.
- Power-Up Your Schools, A EXPO on Distributed Generations in Schools
- LEARN Annual Report 2006-2007.
8. Program Presentation - None
9. Unfinished Business - None
10. New Business
Mr. Vasquenza read a letter from Ms. Jacobson resigning from the Board of Education effective immediately. Mr. Vasquenza noted that the Board will have 30 days to fill the vacancy. He reviewed the process for the Board.
10.1 No Child Left Behind District and School Reports
10.1.1 Dr. Golden reviewed the No Child Left Behind District and School Reports for the Board and answered questions.
10.2 Presentation of the Proposed 2008-2009 Budget
10.2.1 Dr. Golden noted that the budget requests were made by administrators with input from their staff in early November. Administrators and the Superintendent met to review requests and to prioritize them for submission to the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee met twice with central office administrators and the Superintendent to give input and to approve the proposal for submission to the Board of Education. Notebooks have been provided to each Board member with the proposed budget and back-up information to assist Board members in their deliberations. The Finance Committee and the Superintendent recommend the proposed budget to the Board for its consideration and
action at a future meeting. Dr. Golden reviewed the 2008-2009 Budget Presentation for the Board. Future Budget considerations are to continue the funding of technology so that students leave our schools able to compete in a world without borders, planning for high school renovation to address the recommendations of the NEASC Report, maintaining favorable class size balance at all schools and increased staffing to manage facility needs in the future. A discussion followed.
Ms. Pessoni noted that this is a very good budget and she supports it. Ms. Pessoni also noted that she will be out of town for the February 11th Board meeting.
Mr. Vasquenza stated that the goal is that at the next meeting we can answer any additional questions that the Board may have and to possibly adopt the proposed 2008-2009 Board of Education Budget at that time or at the February 25th Board meeting. Dr. Golden requested that if the Board has any additional questions to please email her the list and she will send the questions and answers to the whole Board.
10.3 Transfer of Funds
10.3.1 Dr. Golden noted that the Finance Committee met and reviewed this request to transfer funds.
10.3.2 Motion by Mr. Hurst, seconded by Mr. Coolican to transfer $70,000 from 01-95-2150-5330 to 01-95-2150-5111 and to transfer $70,000 from 01-95-1270-5560 to 01-95-1270-5111. Voted unanimously.
10.4 Memorandum of Understanding with East Hampton Education Association
10.4.1 Dr. Golden noted that the teacher contract specifically states that programs that warrant a column change in salary for degree upgrades must result in a specific degree such as a masters or sixth year. In the case presented, the program results in certification but not in a specific degree. It meets the rigorous standards of a degree, however, Albertus Magnus does not happen to give sixth year degrees for this program. The association and board agreed to request a one time only exception for this teacher.
10.4.2 Motion by Mr. Coolican, seconded by Mr. Hurst, to approve the letter of memorandum with the East Hampton Education Association as recommended by the Administration.
Voted yes – Mr. Vasquenza, Mr. Hurst, Ms. Jacobson, Mr. Coolican,
Ms. Robinson, Ms. Barmasse, Ms. Pessoni and Mr. Gemma
Vote No – Ms. Wall
Motion carried.
11. Future Business
Mr. Hurst requested that the Board of Education inform the Board of Finance and the Town Council of our presentation schedule so that they can attend if interested. He also noted that it would be helpful if the Board of Finance and the Town Council shared their presentation schedule with the Board of Education.
12. Personnel Actions - None
13. Goal Report - None
14. Audience of Citizens
14.1 Ms. Sharon Kjellquist, Board of Finance Liaison to the Board of Education, thanked Dr. Golden for using the zero based budget analysis and building the technology recommendation in the budget request. She also noted that she didn’t see any mention of GASB in this budget presentation.
Dr. Golden noted that funds were taken from medical benefits and moved to a new account for GASB.
Ms. Moore stated that she took her grandchildren to a Marlborough School for the preschool program and wasn’t able to just walk into the school. Due to increased security all guests have to be buzzed into the building. She thanked Dr. Golden for recommending increased security in East Hampton.
Ms. Carol Williams thanked the Board for initiating the Alert Now call program.
15. Adjournment
15.1 Motion by Ms. Robinson, seconded by Ms. Pessoni, to adjourn the meeting at 9:07 p.m. Voted unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Joanne Barmasse
Secretary
JB/JAG/rs
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